Apple will report second-quarter earnings after the close today
One of the FAANG names reporting earnings this week, Apple Inc (AAPL) is set to announce its second-quarter earnings report after the bell today. The tech giant is expected to post earnings of $1.16 per share, which is slightly lower than last quarter's profits of $1.52 per share. The stock is inching higher ahead of the event, up 0.4% at $157.42 at last check, continuing its path higher from a June 16 one-year low of $129.04.
Apple stock has a fairly negative post-earnings history, closing six of its last eight post-earnings sessions lower, including at 3.7% drop in April. This time around, the options pits are pricing in a next-day swing of 4.5%, regardless of direction, which is slightly higher than the 4.2% move the stock has averaged over the last two years.
So far in the options pits today, 447,000 calls and 562,000 puts have exchanged hands. The September 125 and 115 puts are the most popular, with new positions being bought to open at the weekly 7/29 150-strike put, expiring tomorrow.
It's also worth noting that AAPL's Schaeffer's Volatility Scorecard (SVS) sits at a relatively high 82 out of 100. This means the security has exceeded option traders' volatility expectations over the past year -- a good thing for options buyers.